Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-308756 (hereinafter, referred to as Patent Document 1) discloses an input control device having a multi-axis acceleration sensor and a multi-axis gyro sensor. The input control device, which has a rod-shaped body, causes the acceleration sensor to detect for an acceleration of the body and the gyro sensor to detect for a tilt and a rotation of the body. In other words, the input control device disclosed in Patent Document 1 detects for a movement of an input device held by a player with a hand using the acceleration sensor and detects for a rotation (attitude) of the input device using the gyro sensor. Thus, a plurality of sensors has been conventionally used to detect for multiple states of the input device such as a position, an attitude, and a movement thereof, and apply the multiple states of the input device to a game process.
Conventionally, it is necessary to use two types of sensors, i.e., an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor, so as to detect for the multiple states of the input device, thereby increasing the size of the input device. Further, the input device having two types of sensors mounted thereon increases production cost.
Therefore, certain example embodiments provide a game apparatus and a game program for allowing multiple states of an input device to be applied to a game process in a simplified manner.
The reference numerals, supplementary description, and the like in the parentheses indicate the correspondence with the embodiment described below in order to aid in understanding certain example embodiments and are not intended to limit, in any way, the scope of the present invention.
A first aspect of certain example embodiments is directed to a game apparatus (3) for executing a game process using acceleration data (621) which is sequentially outputted by an acceleration sensor (37) of an input device (controller 7). The game apparatus comprises acquisition means (for example, the CPU 10 for executing step S2. Hereinafter, only step No. is described.), smoothing means (S3), and game process means (S4). The acquisition means sequentially acquires the acceleration data. The smoothing means sequentially calculates smoothed data (631) representing a value which is obtained by smoothing an acceleration represented by the acceleration data. The game process means executes the game process using the acceleration data and the smoothed data.
In a second aspect, the game process means may include first action control means (S11) and second action control means (S12). The first action control means determines, using the smoothed data, a state of a player object (51) in a game space for determining a first action to be performed by the player object. The second action control means determines, using the acceleration data, a state of the player object for determining a second action to be performed by the player object.
In a third aspect, the first action control means may determine an attitude of the player object in the game space using the smoothed data. At this time, the second action control means determines a position of the player object in the game space using the acceleration data.
In a fourth aspect, the second action control means may determine the position of the player object in the game space by determining a movement distance using the acceleration data, and by determining a moving direction in accordance with the attitude of the player object determined by the first action control means.
In a fifth aspect, the game process means may include difference calculation means (S12) and process execution means (S13 to S17). The difference calculation means calculates a difference (ay−by) between a value of the acceleration represented by the acceleration data and the value represented by the smoothed data. The process execution means executes the game process using the smoothed data and the difference.
In a sixth aspect, the game process means may include third action control means (S11) and fourth action control means (S12). The third action control means determines, using the smoothed data, a state of a player object in a game space for determining a third action to be performed by the player object. The fourth action control means determines, using the difference, a state of the player object for determining a fourth action to be performed by the player object.
In a seventh aspect, the third action control means may determine an attitude of the player object in the game space using the smoothed data. At this time, the fourth action control means determines a position of the player object in the game space using the difference.
In an eighth aspect, the fourth action control means may determine the position of the player object in the game space by determining a movement distance using the difference, and by determining a moving direction in accordance with the attitude of the player object determined by the third action control means.
In a ninth aspect, the game process means may include fifth action control means and sixth action control means. The fifth action control means controls, using the smoothed data, a state of a first player object appearing in the game space for determining an action to be performed by the first player object. The sixth action control means controls, using the difference, a state of a second player object appearing in the game space for determining an action to be performed by the second player object.
In a tenth aspect, the game process means may include seventh action control means and eighth action control means. The seventh action control means controls, using the smoothed data, a state of a first player object appearing in a game space for determining an action to be performed by the first player object. The eighth action control means controls, using the acceleration data, a state of a second player object appearing in the game space for determining an action to be performed by the second player object.
In an eleventh aspect, the smoothing means may calculate the smoothed data by calculating the smoothed data each time the acceleration data is acquired, and performing a calculation such that the value represented by the smoothed data having been most recently calculated approaches, at a predetermined rate, a value represented by the acceleration data having been acquired by the acquisition means (see FIG. 19).
In a twelfth aspect, the game process means may include tilt calculation means (S11), movement calculation means (S12), and process execution means (S11 to S17). The tilt calculation means calculates, using the smoothed data, first data (wing angle data 635) corresponding to a tilt of the input device including the acceleration sensor. The movement calculation means calculates, using the acceleration data, second data (object attitude data 632) corresponding to a movement of the input device. The process execution means executes the game process using the first data and the second data.
Further, certain example embodiments can be realized as a storage medium having stored thereon a game program for causing a computer of a game apparatus to execute the aforementioned operations.
According to the first aspect, the smoothing means calculates the smoothed data using the acquired acceleration data. Although the acceleration data and the smoothed data each represents a state of the input device such as a position, an attitude, and a movement, the state represented by the acceleration data is different from the state represented by the smoothed data. Therefore, according to the first aspect, by calculating the smoothed data, information indicating two types of states of the input device can be acquired from an output of one acceleration sensor. The game process is executed using two kinds of data, i.e., the acceleration data and the smoothed data, and therefore multiple states of the input device can be utilized for the game process. Further, only one type of sensor, that is, the acceleration sensor is used for the first aspect, and therefore a structure of the input device can be simplified as compared to a conventional art. That is, according to the first aspect, the multiple states of the input device can be utilized for the game process in a simplified manner.
According to the second aspect, the first action control means causes an object to perform the first action using the acceleration data, and the second action control means causes the object to perform the second action using the smoothed data. That is, the game apparatus causes one object to simultaneously perform two types of actions by using two kinds of data obtained from the output by the acceleration sensor. Thus, a player can cause one object to perform two types of actions by performing a simplified operation of moving the input device. That is, the player can cause the object to perform various actions in a simplified operation method, thereby improving controllability of the game.
According to the third aspect, the attitude of the object is determined using the smoothed data and the position of the object is determined using the acceleration data. Thus, the player can control the attitude and the position of the object by performing a simplified operation of moving the input device, whereby the player can cause the object to perform various actions in a simplified operation.
According to the fourth aspect, the position of the object is determined using not only the acceleration data but also the smoothed data. Thus, the position of the object is determined using two kinds of data, thereby controlling the position of the object with enhanced precision.
According to the fifth aspect, the difference between the value of the acceleration represented by the acceleration data and the value represented by the smoothed data is calculated so as to execute the game process using the difference and the smoothed data. The difference represents only a component representing a vigorous movement of the input device, and therefore the game apparatus can calculate the vigorous movement of the input device with enhanced accuracy by calculating the difference.
According to the sixth aspect, the third action control means causes an object to perform the third action using the smoothed data, and the fourth action control means causes the object to perform the fourth action using the difference. That is, the game apparatus causes one object to simultaneously perform two types of actions by using two kinds of data obtained from the output by the acceleration sensor. Thus, a player can cause one object to perform two types of actions by performing a simplified operation of moving the input device. That is, the player can cause the object to perform various actions in a simplified operation method, thereby improving controllability of the game.
According to the seventh aspect, the attitude of the object is determined using the smoothed data and the position of the object is determined using the difference. Thus, the player can control the attitude and the position of the object by performing a simplified operation of moving the input device, whereby the player can cause the object to perform various actions in a simplified operation.
According to the eighth aspect, the position of the object is determined using not only the difference but also the smoothed data. Thus, the position of the object is determined using two kinds of data, thereby controlling the position of the object with enhanced precision.
According to the ninth aspect, the fifth action control means controls the action of the first player object using the smoothed data, and the sixth action control means controls the action of the second object using the difference. That is, the game apparatus simultaneously controls the actions of two different objects by using two kinds of data obtained from the output by the acceleration sensor. Thus, a player can simultaneously control two objects by performing a simplified operation of moving the input device. That is, the player can controls a plurality of objects in a simplified operation method, thereby improving controllability of the game.
According to the tenth aspect, the seventh action control means controls the action of the first object using the smoothed data, and the eighth action control means controls the action of the second object using the acceleration data. That is, the game apparatus simultaneously controls the actions of two different objects by using two kinds of data obtained from the output by the acceleration sensor. Thus, a player can simultaneously control two objects by performing a simplified operation of moving the input device. That is, the player can control a plurality of objects in a simplified operation method, thereby improving controllability of the game.
According to the eleventh aspect, the smoothing means performs the smoothing process using the smoothed data having been most recently calculated and the acceleration data having been currently acquired. That is, the smoothed data can be calculated by using only data having been already acquired when the smoothing process is performed. Therefore, the smoothed data can be calculated in real time, thereby realizing rapid response game operation.
According to the twelfth aspect, the game apparatus calculates the tilt of the input device using the smoothed data and calculates the movement of the input device using the acceleration data. Therefore, the game apparatus can acquire, from one sensor, two kinds of states, that is, the tilt and the movement of the input device. That is, the game apparatus can simultaneously detect for the tilt and the movement of the input device.
These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of certain example embodiments will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.